During Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai, an entire one-room kitchen becomes a temple, then a factory, then a party hall. The stories of a family during a festival—the uncle who drinks too much, the aunt who criticizes the decorations, the children who dance terribly—are the glue that holds them together for the rest of the year.
Ramesh, the patriarch, was already on his second cup of ginger tea, scrolling through WhatsApp messages while the incense from his wife Sunita’s morning puja (prayer) drifted through the hall. Sunita was the conductor of this orchestra. She moved between the kitchen and the bedrooms, packing stainless steel dabbas (lunch boxes) with steaming parathas and lemon pickle. During Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai, an entire one-room